Electrostatic protection for a shielded MR sensor

(19)

(11)

EP 0 716 412 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	28.05.1997 Bulletin 1997/22

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	12.06.1996 Bulletin 1996/24

(21)	Application number: 95308828.3

(22)	Date of filing: 06.12.1995

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁶: G11B 5/40, G11B 5/11, G11B 5/39

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH DE ES FR GB IT LI NL SE

(30)

Priority:

08.12.1994 US 354753

(71)	Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
	Armonk, N.Y. 10504 (US)

(72)	Inventors:
	Denison, Edward Virgil Tucson, AZ 85749 (US) Kahwaty, Vincent Noel Tucson, AZ 85715 (US) Rubio, Antonio Tucson, AZ 85706 (US) Schmalhorst, Joseph Martin Tucson, AZ 85715 (US)

(74)	Representative: Burt, Roger James, Dr.
	IBM United Kingdom Limited Intellectual Property Department Hursley Park Winchester Hampshire SO21 2JN Winchester Hampshire SO21 2JN (GB)

(54)	Electrostatic protection for a shielded MR sensor

(57) A magneto-resistive (MR) head includes protection from electrostatic discharge without introducing additional processing steps. The MR sensor comprises a soft film biased (SFB) magnetic read sensor sandwiched between two high resistivity magnetic materials. The MR sensor is located between two MR shields wherein each MR shield is connected to an MR sensor ground signal lead by a resistor. The resistor is constructed from the high resistivity magnetic material such that the resistor is deposited at the same process step as the MR sensor.

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